22
Jan 1920: Removed
from the Navy Lists on being awarded Permanent Commission in RAF

1
Apr 1920:Officer Commanding, No 210 Sqn.
(Cuckoo Ė
Gosport)

28
Sep 1920: Flight
Commander/Deputy OC, No 210 Squadron

1
Oct 1921: Squadron Commander, RAF Base, Gosport

3
Apr 1922:Attended RAF Staff College.

1
May 1923:Staff, Directorate of Training and Staff Duties.

Aug/Sep
1923:Staff, Directorate of Training.

17
Aug 1925:Supernumerary, HQ Coastal Area.

6
Nov 1925:Officer Commanding, RAF Cape Flight.

1
Sep 1926:Officer
Commanding - Flying, HMS Furious.

16
Oct 1928:Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

14
Jan 1929:Attended Imperial Defence College.

15
Dec 1929:Officer Commanding, No 7 Sqn.

9
Apr 1931:Officer Commanding, RAF Bircham Newton.

4
Nov 1932:Officer Commanding, RAF Heliopolis.

1
Oct 1934:Officer Commanding, Air Armament School.

14
Sep 1936: Superintendent
of the Reserve and Inspector of Civil Flying Schools.

xx
Dec 1937: AOC, No 26 (Training) Group.

15
Aug 1938:Director of Volunteer Reserve Expansion

31
Aug 1939: AOA, HQ Reserve
Command

6
Mar 1941:AOC, RAF Far East.

He was born in Agra, Uttar Pradesh in India.

Having completed an Anti-Zeppelin patrol on 1 June 1915, he was coming into land
in BE2c (No 966), when he hit the top of a tree, completely wrecking the
aircraft but leaving him unhurt. However, on 8 May 1916 whilst returning
to Ark Royal in Sopwith Schneider seaplane, 1578, he sideslipped and then nose
dived from 100ft, wrecking the aircraft and injuring himself. In
1919, he won the "Dunning Cup" for his experimental work on carrying
out airborne torpedo attacks against shipping.

In
1926 he led the RAF Cape Flight of four Fairey IIIDs in a record breaking flight
from Cairo to Cape Town, for which he was awarded the AFC.
On 31 March 1933 he accompanied personnel of No 6 Squadron, who conducted a tour
from Cairo to Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

Appointed AOC, RAF Far East he was not in good health, a situation which
would soon prove detrimental. With the support of his C-in-C, ACM Sir Robert
Brooke-Popham he set about building up the defences and preparing for a possible
Japanese invasion of Malaya.However,
at this time, the Far East was low on the priority list and their repeated
requests for modern re-enforcements went unheeded.The Japanese attacked on 8thDecember 1941 and very quickly progressed down the Malayan Peninsula.Due to the lack of senior officers, his three senior staff officer where
soon having to man the OperationsRoom,
leaving him to deal with all the policy and administration matters.At this point AVM P C Maltby arrived and undertook duties as his deputy.As the situation worsened and it became obvious that the invaders would
not be stopped attempts were made to evacuate as many personnel as possible.Pulford was authorised to evacuate himself on 5 February 1942 but having
opted to remain with the army commander it was another ten daysbefore he and his naval counterpart, Rear Admiral Spooner, where
eventually amongst the last to leave.Unfortunately
their motor boat was hit and forced to run aground on a malaria ridden island in
the Juju group.The survivors
managed to hold out for two months before being forced to surrender to the
Japanese, but the Air Vice Marshal and Rear Admiral where not amongst them, both
having died of exhaustion and malaria shortly before.Although reported missing in 1942, the situation in the Far East was such
at the time that knowledge of Pulford's death did not become known until after
the Japanese surrender in 1945.He was posthumously
mentioned in despatches for his service in the Far East.